Centering Palestinian Voices: Film, Education & Community with Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani
In this episode of Siti’s Stories, we sit down with Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani, Executive Director of the Chicago Palestine Film Festival and Assistant Dean of Learning Enrichment at a local college for a conversation about community leadership, Palestinian cinema, and the power of representation.
Through both education and the arts, Nina has devoted her career to creating spaces where Palestinian voices can thrive. Whether she’s working with students in higher education or helping bring Palestinian films to audiences across Chicago, her work is rooted in a deep commitment to community, representation, and meaningful impact.
Founded in 2001, the Chicago Palestine Film Festival is the longest-running Palestinian film festival in the world. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the volunteer-led festival brings filmmakers, artists, and audiences together to create space for collective connection, healing, and cultural preservation.
But Nina’s work extends far beyond the screen.
As a leader in higher education, she is deeply committed to equity, representation, and uplifting minority and Arab students. After growing up in the Bay Area with little Palestinian community, moving to Chicago, home to one of the largest Palestinian diasporas deepened her connection to culture, identity, and collective belonging.
In this episode, we talk about:
• The role of education in creating representation, opportunity, and meaningful change for minority and Arab students
• The power of Palestinian cinema and the impact of the Chicago Palestine Film Festival as it celebrates 25 years
• How storytelling and film create space for Palestinian voices, creativity, and collective healing
• Nina’s mother, a Nakba survivor whose resilience shaped Nina’s connection to her Palestinian identity
• The traditions, values, and love of the land passed down through generations and how Nina is now carrying that legacy forward to her own children
This episode is about community, leadership, and the ways we carry our people forward.
